Feeler for looms



April 19, 1932. H. w. THATCHER FEELER FOR LOOMS Filed May 28, 1931 I NVEN TOR.

HAEE) W FIATCHEE W/ TNES S C L wrorv 6. C080? BY M- ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITE, STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY W. THATGHER, OFHOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 DRAIER COR- PORATION, OF HOPEDALE,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE FEELER FOR LOOMS 7 Applicationfiled May 28,

action so as to not damage delicate materials.

A side slipping feeler which has proven very satisfactory for use withcotton filling is disclosed in the Brown et al. Patent No. 1.593.426.The feeler disclosed in this patent consists essentially of a feelermember slidably and rotatably mounted in a feeler stand and retained infeeling position by a coil spring acting in a line parallel to thesliding movement.

I have found that bv extending this spring obliquely to the line ofsliding movement the s ring may be made sufficiently light to precludethe possibility of damaging delicate materials. without rendering themechanism inoperative. Also I have found th t bv providing an electriccontact with a resilient portion to be engaged by the feeler member forcompleting an electric circuit the force re quired to cause the memberto sli on a bare bobbin will be much less than where a me chanicallvactuated means is used.

It is. therefore. a further obiect of mv invention to provide a sideslipping feeler mechanism for looms, in which a feeler memher isslidablv and rotatably mounted on a feeler stand and retained in feelingposition by a spring means acting in a line which is oblique to thesliding movement.

A furtherob1ect of my invention is to provide a feeler for looms inwhich a feeler memher is actuated in a predetermined manner uponsubstantially exhaustion of filling to engage a resilient contact memberconnected with an electric conductor. to complete a circuit and effect achange in the operation of the loom.

In the present embodiment of my invention 1931. Serial No. 540,682.

I make use of some details which are similar to those of the feeler inthe said Brown et al. patent. Referring more particularly to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a feeler embodying my invention with the coverof the housing removed showing in full and dotted lines two positions ofthe feeler member; V

Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe'position of the feeler member whenthe filling has become exhausted'and Fig. 8 is a detailed view of theelectric conductor and bushing and resilient contact therefor.

A feeler stand or housing 1 is mounted on a suitable stationary part ofthe loom. A side slipping feeler member 2 is slidably and rotatablymounted in said housing, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the coverremoved. The feeler member consists of a tip 3 and stem portion 4,having a laterally ex-v tending heel 5cand a laterally extending arm 6.The housing 1 is provided with a stop 7 normally engaged by the stemportion 4 and is also provided with a stop, or bearing, 8

engaged by end 9 of the arm 6 when the feel er member is in rearwardfeeling position. The arm 6 is provided intermediate its ends with acurved portion 10 for retainingone end of a coil spring 11. The otherend of this coil spring is fastened, as at 12, to the hous mg. j a a Itwill be noted that the portion 10 engaged by the spring 11 is very closeto the line forming the longitudinal axis of stem portion 4. The point12 is spaced considerably farther from the axis of the stem portion.Thus the longitudinal axis 13 of the coil spring forms an acute anglewith the axis of the stem portion. This angle is shown as being lessthan 45 degrees. When the bobbin 14 contains a sufficient amount offilling, the filling will engage the tip 3 on the beat up of the lay andforce the 5 feeler member axially of its stem portion, which is radiallyof the bobbin. That is, until the filling is substantially exhausted itretains the feeler member against side slipping movement and allows itto slide only. 108

' Obviously, if the angle formed by the spring slightly less thandegrees the tip will slip less of whether the filling were exhausted ornot. Itwill be seen from the dotted line show-1 ing of Fig; 1 thatsliding of the feelerxmember serves to elongate the spring 11 and rotateit about point 12 as a pivot, thus decreasing the aforementioned angle.This angle could, therefore, prob'ab'lyb'e made equal to or; slightlygreater than 45 degrees with the result that thetip '31 Would slip on abare bobbin only after the feeler member had been caused to slide, n aright line, an. appreciable distance. However, With this angle readilyupon the bare bobbin when the filling becomes substantially exhausted,and a very light spring Wlll serve to return the feel- 1 er member toits normal position.

Inthus slipping, the tip portion is rotated about the bearing point 8and the feeler member contacts With an electric conductor 15. Thisconductor consists ofa threaded portion IG'extending through aninsulating bushing 17 in the housing 1, and a yielding, contact portion18'. This contact portion, in the present instance, consists of a coiledWire spring having a closed helical portion 19 threaded on the conductor16, and an open resilient heli cal portion 20 adapted tofyield whencontacted by the feeler member.

A fibre Washer 21 is positioned on the conductor between a nut 22 andthe housing 1 to complete the insulation of the conductor fromv thehousing. Completion of the: .oirunit from the conductor through thefeeler member operates through any of the conven 'tional means to effecta predetermined change in the operation of. the loom, such as replentip,a stem and a laterally extending arm; a spring acting on said armobliquely to said sliding movement; an insulating bushing extendingthrough the housing; an electrical conductor extending through saidbushing; and a coiled wire spring .on the end of said conductor adaptedto be contacted by said feeler stem upon substantial exhaustion of I thefilling to. complete the circuit from the.

conductor to the feeler st'enn 2. An electrical feel'er for looms:comprising: afeeler stand; a side slipping feeler member thereon; aninsulating bushing supported by said stand; a conductor extendingthrough said'bushing; and a coiled spring mounted on the end of saidconductor, said 7 spring being comprised of a closedhel-ix and an openhelix and the. closed portion being secured on said. conductor.

3. An electrical feeler for looms comprisadapted to be actuated in apredetermined manner upon detectionof substantial. exhaus tio-noffi-lling an insulating bushing carried by said stand; a threadedconductor passing through said bushing; a coiled springonsaid conductorcomprised of a=closed.heli-x, and an open resilient part in; position tobe compressed by said feeler member in completing an electric circuit,said closed part being,

threaded onto said conductor.

4. An electrical feeler for loomscomprising: a feeler stand; asideslipping feeler 7 ing a feeler stand; a feeler member. thereon membermounted thereon; an insulating bushing carried by said stand; anelectrical conductor extending through said bushing;

and a yielding tip on said conductor in-posr tion to be engaged andcompressed by said feeler member upon slipping of the same, to completean electric circuit and effect a preloom. v

' nAnnYw; THATGHER.

ishmentof the filling, or stopping of the 10 m so that replenishment ofthe filling may be accomplished manually.

Certain features of my invention may be useful Without others.Particularly it is noted that the electric contact member may ,7

be used with other types of feelers, and that the spring arrangement maybe used With- 7 out an electric conductor, substituting therefor any ofthe usual mechanically operating means.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is merely descriptive of apreferred embodimentof my invention and may be departed from inmany ofthe details.

I claim as my invention:

- 1. An electrical side slipping feeler for looms comprising: a housing;a feeler member slidably and rotatably mounted in said housing, saidmember including a feeler determined change in the operation of the

